{"id":2035731,"date":"2023-09-18T08:23:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-18T12:23:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jeffrey-clarks-fulton-county-case-should-be-moved-to-federal-court-former-ag-meese-argues\/"},"modified":"2023-09-18T08:27:39","modified_gmt":"2023-09-18T12:27:39","slug":"jeffrey-clarks-fulton-county-case-should-be-moved-to-federal-court-former-ag-meese-argues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jeffrey-clarks-fulton-county-case-should-be-moved-to-federal-court-former-ag-meese-argues\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Attorney General Meese argues for Jeffrey Clark&#8217;s Fulton County case to be transferred to federal court."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjeffrey-clarks-fulton-county-case-should-be-moved-to-federal-court-former-ag-meese-argues%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2035731&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"article-content\">\n<h2>Former Attorney \u200dGeneral Supports Assistant Attorney General&#8217;s Efforts to Remove Indictment<\/h2>\n<p>Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Jeffrey Clark was acting \u201csquarely\u201d within his\u200d federal authority when\u2062 he drafted and advocated for the Department\u200d of\u2062 Justice to send \u200ca letter to \u2062the Georgia legislature concerning the 2020 election, according to \u2064former\u2064 Attorney General Edwin Meese. Additionally, \u2064\u201cthe prosecution of \u200dthe President and an AAG\u201d represents \u201ca major affront to federal supremacy never before seen in the\u2062 history of our country,\u201d Meese further opined in\u2062 the 19-page affidavit he filed in\u2063 a\u200d federal court on Saturday in support of Clark\u2019s efforts to remove the Fulton County indictment to \u200cfederal court.<\/p>\n<p>Meese\u2019s affidavit\u2064 adds gravitas \u2062to Clark\u2019s already-strong argument for removal \u2063of the \u2064criminal case to a federal court, a question\u200d federal Judge Steve Jones will consider during a hearing Monday morning.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-136200707\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-c37759959bedaa3163dd938674d34e70 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-c37759959bedaa3163dd938674d34e70\"><\/div>\n<p>A\u2062 little\u2064 over\u200d a month ago, a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, returned a \u2064sprawling \u2064indictment against 19 defendants, including former President Donald Trump. That indictment charged the defendants\u200d with various supposed crimes\u2063 related to \u201calleged postelection interference with the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Soon\u2063 after Fulton County\u2019s get-Trump\u200c prosecutor Fani Willis announced\u2063 the charges, Trump\u2019s\u200d former\u200d Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Clark, and three alternate presidential electors \u200bfor Trump sought to \u201cremove\u201d the criminal case from the \u200dstate court to a federal district\u200d court.<\/p>\n<p>While \u200bfederal courts in nearly all circumstances lack \u200d\u201cjurisdiction\u201d\u2063 or\u200c the \u200bpower to\u2062 hear a case involving the state\u2019s prosecution of an alleged violation of the state\u2019s criminal\u2063 code, the \u201cfederal officer removal\u200d statute\u201d provides an exception to that \u2062rule. \u200bThat \u200dstatute,\u2063 which is codified at \u00a7 1442(a)(1), provides that a \u201ccriminal\u200c prosecution that is commenced in a State court\u201d against an \u201cofficer\u201d \u200bof the United States or any federal agency may \u2063\u201cremove\u201d the case\u2063 to a federal court\u2064 if the prosecution is \u2062\u201cfor or relating to any act under color of such office\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On Sept. 8, 2023, Judge Jones rejected Meadows\u2019 attempt to \u2062remove\u2063 the criminal case to federal court, remanding the case instead\u200c to the Fulton County Superior Court. In remanding the case to state court, Jones reasoned that \u201cMeadows\u2019s alleged\u200b association with\u2064 post-election activities,\u201d detailed in the criminal indictment, \u201cwas not related to his role as White House\u2062 Chief \u200bof Staff\u2064 or\u2063 his executive branch authority.\u201d The federal judge stressed, however, \u201cthat its determination on Meadows\u2019s notice of removal and its jurisdiction over his criminal prosecution does \u2062not,\u2062 at this time, have any effect on \u2063the outcome of the other co-Defendants who have filed notices,\u201d which, among others, \u200bincludes Clark, who faces off against Willis\u2019 legal team later Monday \u2064morning.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-b4e8533dea30d356816716ba8bbdd4d2 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-b4e8533dea30d356816716ba8bbdd4d2\"><\/div>\n<p>Whether Judge Jones\u200b erred in rejecting Meadows\u2019 attempt to remove \u200cthe criminal case \u2014 \u2062a question the 11th\u200b Circuit Court of Appeals will decide \u2063soon on an expedited basis \u2014 removal by Clark presents an entirely different equation. The \u200dcriminal case against Clark \u2064rests on his supposed attempt \u201cto make a false statement or writing by composing and attempting to send a letter falsely claiming \u2063the\u2063 Department\u200c of Justice\u2064 had \u2018identified\u2062 significant concerns that may have impacted the \u2063outcome \u2063of the election in multiple States, including the State of Georgia.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Clark drafted that letter, presented it to his bosses, and advocated for it to his bosses and \u200bto then-President\u200d Trump while \u200cserving as\u2064 an acting assistant attorney \u2063general of the United States. Nonetheless, the Fulton County D.A. argues Clark \u2063was not acting \u201cunder color of office\u201d because Clark\u2019s \u200csupervisors told Clark that\u2064 sending the letter would\u200d be outside\u2063 the scope of authority of the \u2064DOJ and stated that\u200b Clark and his Civil Division had no role in election issues.<\/p>\n<p>Meese\u2019s affidavit eviscerated these arguments, citing the Department of Justice\u2019s \u2062Office of Legal Counsel\u2019s opinion that\u200d concluded assistant attorneys general are \u201cnot limited to any \u200cone Division of the Department of Justice\u2062 or any specific set of \u200dduties,\u201d but instead can \u200d\u201cbe moved from \u200bheading most Divisions to instead heading most other Divisions at the discretion of \u200bthe Attorney General.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd, of course,\u201d Meese continued, \u2064\u201cthe Attorney General reports\u2064 to\u2064 the President,\u200c which \u200cmeans the President has discretion to assign duties to the \u200cAAGs as the President sees\u200d fit.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-b087d92ecfb32dc07c39c20b6ae8cb65 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-b087d92ecfb32dc07c39c20b6ae8cb65\"><\/div>\n<p>Thus, as Meese concluded, Clark\u2019s status as an acting\u200b assistant \u200cattorney \u2062general in the Civil\u200d Division did not prevent the president from assigning \u2062him other duties, including those related to\u2064 election issues. In fact, \u201cClark directly \u200csupervised 2020 election-related controversies in his capacity as Acting AAG of the Civil\u2063 Division,\u201d Meese \u200bnoted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn short, taking positions on legal issues relating \u200dto\u200c the conduct\u2063 of the 2020 \u200celection and consideration of whether to pursue \u2064the policy option inherent in the alleged draft letter were not strictly off limits or out of bounds\u2062 for Mr. Clark,\u201d the affidavit concluded.<\/p>\n<p>Not only was Clark acting within\u2062 the \u201ccolor\u200b of his office,\u201d Clark\u2019s conduct in drafting the \u200bletter and advocating\u2063 for it to be \u200bsent\u200c to the \u200cGeorgia legislature was\u200b protected by numerous privileges, including\u200d the executive and\u200d deliberate process privileges. Further, where \u201cthe opinion in question relates to whether, how, and to what\u200d extent to exercise the President\u2019s or the \u200bDepartment\u2019s law enforcement\u200d authorities under the President\u2019s supervision,\u200b it is also subject to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/many-of-faucis-emails-with-zuckerberg-should-be-shielded-from-lawsuit-government-says\/\" title=\"Many of Fauci\u2019s Emails With Zuckerberg Should be Shielded From Lawsuit, Government Says\">law enforcement privilege<\/a>,\u201d Meese concluded.<\/p>\n<p>These privileges provide \u200bClark several defenses to potential criminal liability \u200bfor the charges \u200dalleged\u200b in\u2063 the Fulton County indictment. And under the federal \u200cremoval statute, all a \u2063defendant needs to do \u2014 in addition to\u200d establishing he acted \u201cunder color of such office\u201d \u2014 is raise a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bragg-moves-to-block-trumps-request-to-move-hush-money-case-to-federal-court\/\" title=\"Bragg opposes Trump's bid to shift 'hush money' case to federal court.\">colorable federal defense<\/a>. Meese\u2019s affidavit confirms Clark has done both and is \u2064thus entitled \u2063to remove the case to federal court.<\/p>\n<p>Whether Judge Jones agrees remains \u2063to be seen, but Clark and the \u200ccountry should know soon.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-49a0447682be8eab940788e6cd8f2711 fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-49a0447682be8eab940788e6cd8f2711\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u200cHow will the outcome of this case\u2062 impact <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jeffrey-clarks-fulton-county-case-should-be-moved-to-federal-court-former-ag-meese-argues\/\" title=\"Former Attorney General Meese argues for Jeffrey Clark's Fulton County case to be transferred to federal court.\">future criminal prosecutions involving <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/treasury-department-hit-with-large-scale-breach-national-security-council-now-involved\/\" title=\"Treasury Department Hit with Large-Scale Breach, National Security Council Now Involved\">federal officials<\/a><\/a><\/h2>\n<p><span>  Rlst__b89e9-paragraph-11&#8243; id=&#8221;fdrlst__b89e9-b087d92ecfb32dc07c39c20b6ae8cb65&#8243;><\/div>\n<p>In\u200d his affidavit,\u200c Meese\u200b also emphasized the importance of upholding federal supremacy in this case. He stated that the prosecution of the President and an AAG represents\u200b an unprecedented affront to federal supremacy. He stressed that such a prosecution undermines\u200b the authority of the federal\u200c government and sets a dangerous precedent that could have far-reaching consequences\u2062 for the \u2063functioning of our democratic system.<\/p>\n<p>Meese\u2019s support \u2063for Clark\u2019s efforts to remove the indictment to federal court adds significant weight to the argument.\u200c Clark has maintained that the case\u200c should be heard in federal court due to the nature of the charges and the involvement of federal officials. He argues that as an AAG, he\u200b was acting in his official capacity and therefore falls under\u2063 the federal \u200dofficer removal statute. Clark\u2019s position is \u200bfurther strengthened by Meese\u2019s affirmation that\u2063 AAGs\u2062 can be assigned duties by \u2064the President and are not limited to\u2062 any specific division within the Department of Justice.<\/p>\n<p>The outcome of this \u2062case will have\u200b important implications \u2063for future criminal prosecutions involving federal officials. It will determine whether state courts have the authority \u2064to prosecute federal officers or whether such cases \u2062should be heard in\u2064 federal \u2063court. The decision will also shape the relationship between \u200cstate and federal governments and clarify the extent of \u200bfederal supremacy in matters related to federal officers.<\/p>\n<p>As Judge Jones considers Clark\u2019s request to remove the indictment to federal court, he must carefully\u200c weigh the arguments\u2062 presented by both sides. The decision he reaches will \u200bhave significant consequences and will set a precedent for similar cases\u200d in the future.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of the outcome, the involvement of a former Attorney General in supporting Clark\u2019s efforts to remove the indictment highlights the importance\u200c of this case. It further underscores \u2063the need to carefully consider the balance of power \u2062between state and federal authorities and the potential impact on \u2062our\u2064 democratic\u200d system.<\/p>\n<p>The hearing on Monday morning\u2064 will be \u200dclosely watched by legal experts and observers alike. The decision reached by Judge Jones will shape the\u200d course of this case and potentially\u2064 impact the future prosecution of federal officers. It is\u2063 a case\u2063 that goes beyond the individual defendants and raises important questions about the division of authority between<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Jeffrey Clark acted within his federal authority when he drafted and supported a letter to the Georgia legislature about the 2020 election, says former Attorney General Edwin Meese. Meese also believes that prosecuting the President and an AAG is a significant offense.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":499,"featured_media":2035732,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2035731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2035731","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/499"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2035731"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2035731\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2035732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2035731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2035731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2035731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}